Channel-billed toucan

Ramphastos vitellinus

Groefsnaveltoekan

The Channel-billed Toucan is a toucan species which breeds in Trinidad and in tropical South America as far south as southern Brazil and central Bolivia.

The subspecies were previously considered separate species, but all interbreed freely wherever they meet. These are the Yellow-ridged toucan (R. culminatus; now R. vitellinus culminatus), the Citron-throated toucan (R. citreolaemus; now R. vitellinus citreolaemus) and the Ariel toucan (R. ariel; now R. vitellinus ariel). 

The subspecies R. vitellinus ariel can easily be observed at the Botanical Gardens of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the birds fourage in Cabbage Palm and trees alike. 

 Left: Ramphastos vitellinus ariel

 Left: Ramphastos vitellinus ariel

 Left: Ramphastos vitellinus ariel

Above: Toucan feeding on Cabbage Palm fruits (Euterpe edulis) in Jardim Botanico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil